Quite right - it was never a slanging match, just the odd invective from the usual suspect, but it was largely one way traffic in that respect and no one recipricated. Anyway I'm sure people are more than capable of drawing their own conclusions, (well most anyway it would appear).
Back to the possibilty that MWDS might struggle to stay a true run 21F. Having attempted to watch the Betafir Chase again on You Tube (its one of those stop/start affairs that I never seem to know how to let run), it appears that MWDS is being ridden in the final quarter of the top turn into the home straight and is clearly struggling as they come over the fourth last. It is obvious that had the chasing pack wanted to pass him at this point, they could have done. It is only when he reaches the third from home however, that Exotic Dancer jumps past him.
Now the wonders of Google Earth and GPS can be brought into play here (I've got a new toy too Mordin 
). If you position yourself 300 metres above Haydock, click on the ruler icon, and select 'yards' from the drop down menu, you can trail a line from the finishing post back through all of the fences noting the precise distance between the two, dependent on the spot you want to click into as your measuring point. :dork:
The gap from the fourth last to the post is 903.19 yards, which is the point where one feels MWDS was running on empty and capable of being passed.
The gap from the third last to the post is 641.79 yards, which is the point where Exotic did pass him in the jump.
641.79 /212 = 3.02 Furlongs
In a 24 furlong race, this does point to him being passed at about 21F and being vulnerable from 19.75F's if the fourth last is used, in other words he might very well be on his limit at about thsi point unless he's been sheltered by a sympathetic pace.
Now you could say that the ground at Haydock was heavy, and that Kauto and Exotic won't be taking in the Ryan Air, and with that in mind, you'd be inclined to push the envelope a bit.
Against that though, you've got the fact that Haydock is a flat track without a punishing 2 or 3 final furlongs uphill. The list of horses who've emptied on the hill of course is legendry and it's claimed more illustrious victims than MWDS. Ireckon he's right on his limit in a true run race against specialist 2.5 mile horses. If he gets a decent pace he'll be ok, but a searching pace i think is likely to see him filling the places
